Disorders that counselors and teachers will face while attempting to educate students have been introduced throughout this course. As school counselors observe students, they may recognize characteristics impacting the academic process and need to refer students for a diagnosis. Sometimes educators are unaware of what the students are dealing with. School counselors are the experts and the authority regarding mental health disorders. As a school counselor, you may be asked to present topics on these disorders for a professional development event during a faculty meeting to better acquaint educators with how to recognize and support students struggling with these challenges. As you complete this assignment, design this as something you will use in the future at your site. Your presentation can also be used as a study tool for when you prepare for national counseling exams for licensure.
These are the disorders to be addressed for this assignment as covered in your Parritz and Troy text:
• Disorders of early childhood.
• Intellectual developmental disorder and learning disorders.
• Autism spectrum disorder.
• Maltreatment and trauma and stressor-related disorders.
• Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
• Anxiety disorder.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder and somatic symptom disorders.
• Depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, and suicidality.
• Eating disorders.
• Substance-related disorders.
• Transition to adult disorders.
• Oppositional defiant disorder.
• Conduct disorder.
This assignment should be ongoing throughout the quarter, as you decide which of the disorders covered in this course to feature in your culminating project consisting of a PowerPoint presentation. The project should provide educators—that is, noncounselors—with an overview of the disorder, its characteristics, symptoms, diagnostic assessments and criteria, and effective evidence-based interventions to respond to or treat the disorder, including common pharmacological treatments. Make sure to include any specifics necessary to address diverse populations.
To complete your culminating course project, incorporate the following:
• Include information regarding the selected disorder:
o Definition of disorder according to the DSM-5-TR.
